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Authorities have announced an arrest in the homicide of Joseph Rose, an 18-year-old who went missing just days before Thanksgiving.
Johnathan David Paleno, 21, of Cullowhee, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Rose’s death. Joseph was reported missing on December 2, after failing to show up for a family Thanksgiving dinner. His sister, Emily Ivory Rose, stated the last contact with her brother was on November 24, the day he was supposed to travel for the holiday.
Joseph’s body was discovered on December 12 in a creek near 69 Gilbert B. Crook Road in Candler. Preliminary autopsy results confirmed he died from a single gunshot wound to the head, prompting investigators to classify the case as a homicide.
Investigators revealed that Paleno and Joseph knew each other, though the exact nature of their relationship has not been disclosed. Authorities believe Joseph was killed on November 24, the same day he was last seen alive.
Paleno was taken into custody in Jackson County on December 19 following the execution of search warrants. He has been transferred to the Buncombe County Detention Facility and is being held without bond.
At the time Joseph was reported missing, authorities indicated there was no immediate indication of danger. Emily Rose described her brother as “just a baby” and shared her heartbreak over losing someone so special to her family.
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